Museum of Global Culture, Göteborg, 1998

In her competition entry for the Museum of Global Culture in Goteborg (Sweden, 1998), Winka Dubbeldam was interested in texture and contexture from an architectural point of view. It was a question of integrating the building into its site – its local but also global footprint. “Woven” with the rest of the world into the enormous network of the Web, the aim is for the building to be the very translation of this idea of terrestrial (through textures and the anchoring of the building), and extra-terrestrial (through virtual communication via satellite) connection. In this spirit, the building is designed as a landscape, a new element that is an integral part of the site. The structure, composed of woven layers, represents spatial, economic, political, social and cultural influences. Slits placed on horizontal and vertical planes enable light to penetrate, creating a spectacular light show that constantly transforms the interior of the museum. Recycled materials are added to the texture of the building, bringing innovative solutions while also enhancing its value as regards sustainability. Balanced between flotation and foundation, the project for the Museum of Global Culture, with its electronic library, digital archives and interactive exhibitions, is a dynamic system of elements that connect with and inform each other, interwoven in a single matrix.